Finally, At Peace
by Fester0662
Summary: Naruto looking to get stronger finds something he was never supposed to see. Now the very foundation of everything he believed in is gone...what will he do now? NaruXHina


**Finally, at Peace**

Over my short time on Fanfic I have been assaulted with ideas and thoughts of all the different things that Naruto went through…some of it created after the fact by other authors, some of it from the original manga and series.

This will be a one shot (something I couldn't really see fitting in any of the current stories I am writing) but it is a depth of what the boy must have suffered, and his final reaction to it all.

This will take place a day after team 7's return from the wave mission, and in his bid to get stronger, Naruto will uncover truths that he had no idea existed, and would shatter what little there was left of him.

Enjoy

OOO

Naruto grumbled to himself as he looked around the Hokage's office.

He figured his sensei would be more proud of him if he was able to learn a new technique on his own…again.

He snickered for a second before shrugging his shoulders.

**Flashback**

"I'm sorry Naruto, I will be much to busy doing the mission report and being debriefed by the Hokage to show you anything else. Keep working on the tree climbing exercise…your chakra control is atrocious. Once you get better control, then I will start teaching you more."

And with an eye smile Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving Naruto and Sakura still standing at the base of the Hokage tower.

Sasuke, of course, had gone off on his own long before they even got to the tower.

Naruto frowned, mainly because he was bored to death of the tree climbing exercise before he turned towards his teammate.

"Hey Sakura-chan?"

Sakura grimaced, but answered him. "What do you want Naruto?"

At her tone of voice, Naruto's voice dropped an octave as he tried to concentrate on what was bothering him. "You have pretty good chakra control…has Kakashi-sensei taught you anything different?"

Sakura's face fell for a moment before she shrugged, looking at the ground in front of her. "No." But almost immediately she glared at Naruto as if he was the reason for her lack of training. "But it's like Kakashi-sensei said baka, he's too busy right now. I'm sure that once he catches up, and you stop annoying him he'll start teaching us more."

Naruto frowned, feelings slightly hurt over her insult and accusation of annoying their teacher.  
After a few seconds Naruto perked up though as he got a bright idea. "Hey…I've got it! Why don't we try to learn something on our own together? If we could, Kakashi-sensei would be sure to be proud of us and work harder with us!"

Sakura thought about it for a moment before she glared hatefully at Naruto and bashed him on the top of his head!

"Don't be stupid!" She yelled at his prone form as he watched little cuckoo clocks dance around his head. "If we tried to do anything on our own and screwed up or hurt ourselves, Kakashi-sensei would be furious! Kami why don't you ever think?"

Huffing in disgust, Sakura turned and walked away from him while he slowly sat up, rubbing his head.

In truth, that was only a tiny portion of why she had hit him. The biggest reason was it was too much like Naruto asking her out on a date, and she would NEVER go for that!

_Besides, if Sasuke-kun saw me and Naruto together doing anything, he would think I was getting chummy with the idiot, and might not consider me as girlfriend material anymore, and I can't have that! _She thought with satisfaction.

Naruto still rubbing his head frowned at her back as she stalked off.

_Why is she always so mean to me?_ He wondered to himself as he slowly rose to his feet again. _Nothing I do is ever good enough._

With a sigh Naruto walked over and sat on a bench as he considered his options.

He honestly had no talent when it came to making jutsus…which was why he asked Sakura. He figured she might have an idea or two.

He could memorize one like nobody's business, but he could never make one on his own.

At that thought he got depressed. He wouldn't be able to go into the shinobi library so getting a new jutsu from there was a lost cause…and no one was really helpful to him for anything really…

As these thoughts bounced around the inside of his head, he spied a familiar figure emerging from the Hokage tower and figured it would be worth a shot to ask her. Hopping up off his seat, Naruto approached the shy girl as he normally did. "Oy Hinata-chan!"

Hinata blinked, startled by his shout and eeped quietly as her head sank into the collar of her coat, her face flashing a deep crimson. "N..Naruto-k..kun."

Naruto, completely oblivious to her discomfort rambled straight into what he was thinking. "Hinata I've been wanting to get stronger, but I don't have anyone to teach me or any jutsus to study, do you have any ideas?"

Hinata swooned for a second as the thought of her crush asking her for help was almost too much for her, but she grit her teeth and brought her embarrassment under control. "Um..h..have you tried the s..shinobi library?"

At his crestfallen look Hinata knew instantly what was wrong.  
Everyone mistreated Naruto for some reason she couldn't fathom, and from the look on his face he must have been refused entrance to the library.

"I tried…they won't let me in…they told me I was too disruptive the last time I tried to get in."

Hinata thought hard for a moment then made a quick decision. "Naruto-kun…I'm not supposed to do this, but I could go through the c..clan archives and f..find something t..that you might use that d..doesn't fall under c..clan secrets…b..basic Justus that w..will help you."

Naruto's face split into a grin that could have swallowed the moon as he shouted excitedly. "You would? Oh that is so great! You're the best Hinata-chan!" Naruto began to do a little dance around Hinata which made her giggle cutely at his antics before he stopped and looked at her again, his face falling. "But…I don't want you to get in trouble for this…I know all of the clans guard all of their techniques and jutsus closely."

Hinata shook her head, a smile on her face. "N..no Naruto-k..kun, it's no t..trouble. I am happy to help y..you."

Naruto's grin was back in place as he stood in front of her. "Really? Oy you are the greatest Hinata-chan!"

And with that he grabbed her hand and gave it a friendly shake before bounding off to his apartment.

Hinata staggered over to the bench he had been occupying earlier and plopped down on it, all the while looking at her hand as only one thought crossed her mind.

_He…he touched my hand…Naruto-kun touched my hand… _

Then predictably, Hinata fainted, looking very much like she had fallen asleep sitting on the bench.

O

Naruto had pondered while in the shower what else he could do.

It was great Hinata was going to help him, but he couldn't rely on anyone for long. Even though Hinata was really weird…she was one of the only people that treated him nice. But if he put all of his faith in her, and started to annoy her and then she stopped helping him…where would that leave him?

Naruto didn't want to alienate the only person who ever was truly nice to him.

_No…better to do this on my own too_. He concluded.

_I'll accept any help Hinata is willing to give, but I will do this on my own too!_

But then his mind went back to square one…where could he find what he needed?

Then a light went off inside his head as he remembered how he got his first real Jutsu.

The forbidden scroll!

He could get another jutsu from there!

The shadow clone jutsu was one of the easiest for him to learn…the other ones probably were just as easy!

But…he would have to be even more careful this time then he was the last time.

With a snicker, Naruto stepped out of the shower, and dried himself off as he began planning his next break in.

**Recall**

Since the first time he stole the forbidden scroll, he knew it would be better protected as well as hidden this time around, but that didn't mean a whole lot since it originally sat in Jiji's office in a display case behind his desk.

Even at his simplest Naruto could not for the life of him understand why something so important and vital would have been left on display where anyone with half a brain could take it.

Maybe it was the entire mystery behind it, since only a handful of people knew what was on it originally, or maybe it was everyone thought impossible to steal because of the ANBU and the power of the Hokage. Either way the scroll was not in the display case anymore.

Naruto grumbled again as he began to search the floor under the Hokage's desk. He knew there was a safe there, as well as four others in the room, one behind each of the Hokage's portraits. Unfortunately he also knew from the first time that those safes were smaller and there was no way the forbidden scroll would be in there.

The only place, other then the hidden vault, (Which he knew for a fact he wouldn't be able to get into, let alone find) had to be the safe under the Hokage's desk.

With practiced fingers, Naruto carefully worked his picks on the lock.

After a few minutes of sweating with his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, he grinned in triumph as he was rewarded with a heavy clunking sound from the interior of the safe.

Naruto's fist pumped the air as he sat up quickly in triumph, and promptly banged his head on the right corner of the center drawer.

O

Naruto blinked as he sat up and realized his back was wet and he was in the sewer of his mind.

Grumbling to himself he got up and walked forward until he stood at the fox's prison.

"Oy stupid fox…what do you want? I was busy!"

The fox's eyes opened and glared down balefully at Naruto.

**Yes I saw…you were busy knocking yourself unconscious.**

Naruto turned his face away from the fox and grumbled to himself. "Accidents do happen you know…not my fault I hit my head."

The Kyuubi snickered at him then growled in its deep voice.

**What you seek isn't there. I do not sense it in the old man's office….but there is something of even more importance in there you will want.**

Naruto's face fell for a moment before he looked at the fox earnestly. "Oh? What else could be more important then learning new jutsus?"

The fox seemed to lean forward and growled at him, but Naruto sensed humor in the fox's demeanor now.

**The Truth. A Journal. It lies in the bottom of that safe…retrieve it, read it, I am positive you will find the information…liberating.**

The fox then closed its eyes as it dismissed Naruto, who woke up under the Hokage's desk, and rubbed where he had barked his head. "Ow…I gotta pay more attention." He mumbled to himself as he opened the door on the safe, and was surprised that the only thing in the safe was a large green book.

With a frown, he took it out and turned it over in his hands a few times. Seeing nothing important or impressive about it, Naruto tossed it in his backpack, then quietly sealed the safe again and set everything back the way it was.

A little disappointment racing through him, Naruto turned and leapt out the window, waited for the guard to walk past before moving at high speed back to his apartment.

O

Sitting on his couch, Naruto looked at the clock on the wall before he shrugged. He had been staring at the journal on his table for almost thirty minutes now…partly scared of opening the journal for what he would find inside.

He knew instinctively that if the fox wanted him to do it, then there was something bad in there…but Naruto's curiosity finally overrode his danger sense, and he opened the book and began to read, all the while oblivious to the evil laughter in the back of his mind.

O

After Naruto read through the last entry he quietly closed the book and his head slowly came up to look at the clock. It was now eight am…and he read it all.

His face was haggard as the final truth ran continuously through his mind and ripped to shreds all that he believed, all that he thought was true.

Naruto climbed to his feet but stopped in place.

What was the point? Everything he had focused his life for, was a lie.

Protect precious people?

What a joke…his whole life was a joke.

There were no precious people for him to protect!  
He was truly alone and that thought hurt him in ways he never thought possible.

Naruto tried to shake his head but couldn't find the strength or the energy to do it.

As he read each page…his heart fell more and more until there was nothing left to pick up. Naruto couldn't feel anything, and when he heard a knock at his door without thinking he muttered, "Come in."

The door opened and Hinata stepped in, a scroll under her arm and nervous smile on her face.

Her first instinct was to say hello to him, but seeing the haunted look in his eyes, and the lost look on his face she immediately became concerned as she slammed the door behind her and dropped the scroll to the floor. "Naruto-kun? W..what is wrong? Are you a..alright?"

Naruto just stood there for a few seconds before he mumbled just loud enough for her to hear him. "No one…"

Hinata frowned as she moved closer to him and her hand tentatively touched the blonds shoulder. "W..what?"

Naruto's face turned to her and she gasped at the look of pain and sorrow that now clouded what she always thought of as her own personal ray of sunshine.  
"There isn't anything for me here…there are no precious people here for me…there never was."

Hinata blinked as she watched the lone tear drop from his eye and run down his cheek, and her heart began to hurt for him. Never had she seen Naruto so devastated, so lost, and for the first time in her life she had absolutely no idea what to do to help.

Hinata while always shy, had a sharp mind. While she was usually hesitant to speak up in any direction, she always had some plan of action in case no one else did.

This time, she had none.

But that isn't to say he mind wasn't still active. The first thing was to find out why he was like this.

"Naruto-kun…why do you say that? W..what happened?"

Naruto finally showing a sign of life smirked at her. "I found something I wasn't supposed to…something that should have stayed buried."

Slowly he stepped away from the table and pointed at the book. "Everything's there if you really want to know."

Naruto's headband clattered on the table next to the book as he dropped it there, before he turned and went into his bedroom.

Hinata shocked by him taking off his leaf insignia quickly turned to the accusing item on the table and opened it.

Skimming through the pages, Hinata gasped at a few of the entries and shook her head negatively as she began to cry.

_The council wanted to kill the boy, everyone seems to want to kill him, but I have to admit, Danzo is partially right. He would make a great weapon for Konoha. While I don't like the idea of making him emotionless, perhaps filling his life with negativity will work better. I theorize that if every day of his life he is assaulted, or treated cruelly, when someone does finally show him kindness, he will latch onto that person and protect them with his life and all of the power in his being._

_I have already begun steps for this by putting him in the worst orphanage in the city with explicit orders for them to keep him alive, until I issue new directives._

_By the age of two, he should be ready for the next step._

At the bottom of the page was a very cryptic, "Third"

Hinata's tears flowed freely now as she couldn't believe this was done to him, and it seemed the third Hokage is the one that instituted everything.

Hinata was afraid to read further, but she had to know. Why did they think they could turn Naruto into a weapon?

While she admired him for his strength, Naruto was no powerhouse.

Skipping a few pages Hinata began reading again one particular area that grabbed her attention.

_The boy seems to be adapting nicely. He is loud and very annoying, but pleasantly ignorant to what is really going on._

_I had to set up a stipend to the ramen stand so that they would continue feeding him…it would not do for him to die of starvation. The important thing is the man and his daughter are consummate actors. He actually believes they like and care for him. If he only knew the truth…_

_Even I, as loathe as I am to interact with the Kyuubi container have discovered I can put on a nice face for the usual few minutes I have to talk to him._

_If it becomes too tedious, I simply tell him something exceedingly boring, or that I have a ton of work to do. _

_His short attention span makes this ridiculously easy to get rid of him when I need to._

_So far, my theories have proven correct. The boy has latched onto myself and the ramen stand owners because we have been nice to him. I have put him up in an apartment in the slum district, and I have increased the amount of attacks and assaults he goes through._

_I am sure that this will push him further and further towards me._

Third

Hinata couldn't believe it…it had to be a trick…it couldn't be true! Why would the Hokage do this? Sadly, those where the nicer aspects she had read. There were so many, some of them so hateful and cruel she couldn't bear to read them completely.

And Naruto…the journal entry called him the Kyuubi container…

"Why?" She whispered, before his voice made her head snap around.

"Because it's true…it's all true. I am the Kyuubi container…it's been imprisoned inside of me since the day the fourth sealed it inside of me...the day I was born. I don't understand it all…but I understand enough of what's there to know that no matter what I do…I'm all alone."

Hinata's hand came up to her mouth as she noticed two things that she had never seen or ever expected to see.

Naruto had a backpack in his hand, and it was crammed to bursting with what appeared to be his clothes and other personal items, and his tear that he shed earlier had multiplied.

Naruto's shirt was wet, and his eyes were now red and swollen.

Hinata shook her head at him. "Naruto-kun…w..where are you going?"

Naruto smirked before he sniffed and wiped his nose with the back of his arm and sleeve. "I don't know…but I'm not staying here. I c..can't…not anymore."

Hinata shook her head as she realized there would be no more bright skies, no more smiles, no more blue eyes, and she reached for him. "N..naruto-kun…no…it isn't true!"

But Naruto shook his head as he backed away from her. "C'mon Hinata…you read it…you know the truth as well as I do! No one wants me…and no one ever will!"

Hinata's eyes opened the floodgates again as he turned and walked to his door, when in desperation she wrapped her arms around him…and kissed him.

Naruto's eyes flew open in surprise as her lips were pressed against his, and for a moment his heart began to reform in his chest, but then he forcefully pushed her away, and she flopped on the empty couch.

"What? Are you part of it too? Trying to keep me in a place where no one cares? Keep Konoha's weapon where it belongs?"

Hinata's face shook in the negative but Naruto slashed his arm downward in her direction. "Save it…you love me as much as Sakura does, and I know how little that really is!"

Hinata's heart hurt for a second at the pain on his face and the accusation, but something inside screamed at her to fight, and for once…she was going to listen to it.

Hinata scrambled to her feet and glared at him. "Is that what you think? You think all of the times I helped you, talked to you, tried to make my presence known to you was just a trick?"

Hinata reached on the floor and picked up the scroll and shook it in his shocked face. "I took a big chance making this for you last night…if my father found out that I made a scroll from the clan library to give to an outsider…" And she shivered at the thought as she remembered her father and his cruel hands.

Naruto blinked before he dropped his back pack, snatched it from her hands and unrolled the scroll. He looked at it for a few seconds then looked at her in surprise. "W..water jutsus? You mean you really are trying to help me?"

Hinata's hands became fists as she became tense and she squeezed her eyes shut. After a few seconds her eyes flew open and her right hand rocked Naruto, leaving a distinctive mark on his left cheek just before she screamed at him. "BAKA! Why are you so blind?"

Naruto looked back at Hinata as his hand covered the red mark she had just made. "H..hinata…"

But she had finally reached a breaking point, and everything was going to come out, no matter what. "SHUT UP! Just shut up." Her hands clenched again because the urge to slap him again was strong in her and she didn't trust her hands at the moment because she didn't want to hit him at all. "Do you know how many years I watched you…waited for you to notice…me?"

Her voice dropped to almost a whisper as the tears once again coursed down her cheeks. "The littlest things…a smile…a kind word…my very happiness was based off of how you would one day wake up and see that ignorant pink haired banshee didn't care about you…she never did…but I do!"

Naruto's face was pale as Hinata slammed him with her tirade.

At that point he began to think things through and a couple of things made more sense then they did before.

Hinata's hands unclenched as her eyes pleaded at him. "Naruto-k..kun…I have waited a long time for you to finally open your eyes…and see m..me. It doesn't matter about anything else because the truth is…" And Hinata slowly fell to her knees, hands in her lap and began to sob. "The truth is…I l..love y..you…"

Naruto's hand opened and the scroll fell to the floor from his suddenly numb fingers.

He couldn't have heard right…she couldn't have said…

But he knew he didn't mishear her, her voice despite the stutter, was very clear.

She loved him.

No one had ever told him that before…no one had ever given him that amount of emotion, that amount of their very soul in his life before now.

Numbly, Naruto knelt down in front of her, and took her in his arms, and he began to cry quietly as well.

He didn't know what to say…what to think, but he knew that as much as he was hurt, he did have a precious person, and she was someone he had never expected.

"I'm sorry Hinata-chan…I'm so sorry."

O

Eventually, as things go, Sakura took a deep breath, put on her meanest face, and stomped up the stairs to his apartment. She hated when Kakashi sent her to get the baka…but she wasn't going to openly defy her sensei.

At the top of the steps, Sakura grabbed the door knob and pushed her way into the apartment, but stopped at what she saw.

Naruto and Hinata knelt huddled together on the entry room floor, in what she thought was a lover's embrace. Her blood began to boil as she thought of every bad thing that could have occurred, and then once again unleashed her temper on an unwitting Naruto.

"NARUTO! What are you doing to Hinata?"

Naruto and Hinata's eyes blinked sleepily and turned to the sound of the voice, just as her fist connected with the side of Naruto's head. "Get your filthy hands off her! She might become stupid through contact with you!"

Hinata blinked as Sakura grabbed Naruto's leg and pulled him towards the open door of the apartment. "Sakura! Let Naruto-kun go!" Hinata shouted in sudden anger.

Sakura paused and looked at Hinata as she stood to her feet a little shakily, but before she could say anything Naruto reached up and grabbed Sakura's arm, and slammed his forehead against hers as he pulled her towards him.

Sakura lay on the floor moaning and holding her head as Naruto got to his feet, a look of determination on his face. "Don't you ever touch me again."

The words were deadpan, but behind them were an obvious threat of great bodily harm if she dared to exert her will on him again.

Sakura looked up at him rubbing her forehead…which required both hands, (Sorry I couldn't resist) and mumbled to him. "Nar..naruto…what…"

"Why are you here Sakura?"

Hinata stood behind Naruto, and basked in his sudden commanding presence, as Sakura shrank from it. "K..Kakashi-sensei sent me to get you….he wanted to have a team meeting."

Naruto smirked before he shook his head. "No…I'm not going…now you need to get out…before I lose my temper."

Hinata's hands found his shoulders, and his left hand came up to touch her right hand on his shoulder.

Sakura blinked at the emotion on Naruto's face as he looked at Hinata. She was sure she had never seen it before, but she knew the emotion he showed her when he turned to face her again and she shrank back as his eyes seemed to burn and he gnashed his teeth. "Are you still here?"

Sakura climbed to her feet, still a bit dizzy and bolted out the front door, before Naruto laughed openly.

Hinata looked at the back of his head in worry, but his grin found her and she felt immediately better as she recognized his true smile.  
But Hinata had a bad feeling about what just happened. "Naruto-k..kun…maybe you should have gone."

Naruto shook his head before he reached down and grabbed his pack off the floor and tossed it next to the couch. "No…today, I just want to spend time with my precious person."

Hinata smiled then blushed as he hugged her…a dream of hers finally coming true.

O

Kakashi was furious.

He heard from Sakura what Naruto had done and knew for a fact he was going to have to straighten Naruto out.

Dismissing Sasuke, and making sure Sakura was taken care of at the hospital, Kakashi shunshined into Naruto's apartment quickly looking around for the gennin. Giggles from the bedroom made his eye widen as he recognized one of the giggles as a female, and he immediately strode over and pushed the door open.

Hinata and Naruto sat in the middle of the floor, playing a card game, but they had spoons hanging from the ends of their noses.

With a growl Kakashi let his ire out. "You missed a team meeting, and you assaulted one of your teammates…why?"

Hinata looked worried, but Naruto didn't even look over his shoulder as he drew a card, and then discarded it. "Hello Kakashi…I guess no one ever taught you how to knock either." Looking at Hinata Naruto smirked. "I wonder why there are so many rude people in this village."

Hinata couldn't help but giggle and nod. "I have noticed that too Naruto-kun."

Kakashi blinked at the complete lack of respect from either gennin, but could feel the tension rising like a physical thing in the room.

He decided to try a different approach.

"Didn't I teach you that people who abandon their teammates are lower then trash?"

Naruto growled as he slowly rose to his feet and turned his head to glare at Kakashi. "Then what does that make you _sensei_?" Naruto growled at the man in front of him as his hands clenched into fists. "Sakura hits me whenever and wherever she feels like it, and you say nothing. Sasuke is cold and mean to both his teammates, and you say nothing. And you…you give no motivation or even training to the students under you, and you have the balls to come here and lecture me about what a teammate should do? I would tell you that you're lower then trash, but I don't think they've invented a word that describes you yet!"

Kakashi hissed in anger as he kicked off of the wall and strode towards Naruto, but Naruto's eyes suddenly flaring red stopped him in his tracks as the boy grinned humorlessly at him. "I want you to leave now Kakashi…you don't belong here. If you invade my privacy again, I'll make you regret it."

Kakashi almost scoffed at this remark, but felt the oppressive chakra as it began to grow, then looking at Hinata he made a quick decision. "Alright Naruto…but I will have words with the Hokage about this."

Naruto looked at Hinata and giggled which seemed out of place coming from Naruto. "Sure, you go right ahead, you have a nice long conversation with the old man. See if I care." And Naruto sat back down as Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Naruto took a deep breath and let it out in a huff before he threw his cards down. "I'm going to have to leave Hinata-chan…they aren't going to let me have my life, and they'll never treat me right…"

Hinata reached over and touched his hand. "Then I will go with you Naruto-kun…I will miss some things, but I won't give up my love for you for anyone or for this village."

Naruto grinned at her, a happy feeling replacing the sadness he was starting to get. Feeling awkward as his anger dissipated, Naruto grinned sheepishly at Hinata.

"Well…would you like to watch a movie or something?"

Hinata blushed deeply then leaned over and blew out the candle, plunging the room in darkness. "N..Naruto-kun…no matter w..what happens, stay with me ok.? Don't leave."

Naruto blinked before he frowned, now that the room was completely dark he wasn't sure what to do. "Ok Hinata-chan."

His sensitive ears heard a zipper, then the rustling of clothes and he was sure she was about to play some trick or something on him, when her hand touched his and lead him to the area the bed was in.

Her lips found his, and he happily kissed her, and she pulled his arms around her. But Naruto felt his hands touch bare skin on her back and he realized with growing panic, she was naked!

Naruto broke away quickly, but Hinata pursued him, pushing him into and on the bed. Gone was the shy stuttering girl. She knew what she wanted, and that was right in front of her, and she was going to show him what a person who truly loves you would do. "Relax Naruto-kun…this will be a first for both of us, but I know what to do."

Naruto began to panic, but her soft lips kissing him again made him pause. "Do you trust me Naruto-kun?" She said in a sultry, yet shy voice.

Inside Hinata was hoping, begging Kami that he would, then almost squealed happily when he told her. "I do Hinata-chan."

And she helped him finish what she had started.

And all of their shared pain for a short time didn't matter anymore.

O

Naruto snored happily in his bed as Hinata put the rest of her clothes on. It was late, and she was sure she was going to have to do some quick stepping and dodging her father's questions, but she had found the happiness she had always wanted, and soon they wouldn't have to worry about anyone harassing them anymore.

At eight am, they would meet at the front gate, and start their new life together away from Konoha. She wasn't sure where they would go, but nothing would hinder their love anymore.

With a smile of happiness, Hinata kissed her fingertips, than pressed them lightly to Naruto's lips, which made him murmur her name, and with a blush of pleasure she hurried out and to her home for the last time.

O

Before Hinata leaves…

Kakashi stood angrily in front of the Hokage, growling and spitting like an angry tiger about what had happened at Naruto's room and what they should do about it.

Sarutobi frowned at the man before he sucked his teeth in disgust. "Let me guess…you let his teammates run rough shod over him, and you did nothing about it and now he doesn't want to listen to you at all…am I close?"

Kakashi frowned then nodded his head slightly. "Yeah I guess I was a little unresponsive. But the kid's purpose is to inspire Sasuke to become a better ninja."

The Hokage was tempted to get up and hammer the Jonin into the floor. "Fool! I told you how to treat the boy and what not to do! You neglect him for the Uchiha! You could have taught him small things…at least give him the idea you are helping him, but you take the stupid route and choose to ostracize him completely. Baka! Your lazy ass decided to do it your way and now look what you've done! I swear Hatake, if you have ruined this I will make sure that I'm the one that puts the noose around your neck when we hang you for treason!"

Kakashi paled as the Hokage of the leaf village leaned back in his chair a thoughtful expression on his face as through deep breathing he relaxed himself again. "Perhaps we can salvage this still. Your bungling has made me have to do something that could fail as much as it could succeed. You did say Hinata Hyuuga was there with him?" As Kakashi nodded the leader of the leaf village took a pen and began writing on a scroll…

O

Hinata quietly opened her door and stepped into her bedroom, just as her light came on.

In the corner at her desk sat her father and he did not look happy.

"Where have you been my daughter? It is a little late for you to be out around the village." He said in a voice that was too sweet…completely out of place on her father.

Hinata sensed the slight edge to her father's voice and knew something was wrong so she did the best she could to tell the truth without actually lying. "I..I was out with a f..friend."

Hiashi nodded sagely, but his facial expression only got harder. "I see…a male friend perhaps?"

Hinata nodded slowly as her stomach began to churn in nervous anticipation. She didn't know how, but she knew what he was going to say.

"One Uzumaki Naruto…am I correct?"

Hinata looked at her father's face then nodded slowly. "Y..yes father…I w..was with him."

Hiashi stood slowly and walked towards his daughter, a look of fury transforming him from father, to monster. "What have I told you of that boy? Were you not sufficiently warned about not having contact with him?"

Hinata looked at the floor, hands coming together in front of her as she waited.

She didn't have long to wait as the slap brought stars to her eyes and she hit the floor.

"Get up! It is too early for you to lie on the floor…this will be a long night for you!"

When Hinata didn't move, he reached down and lifted her by her jacket, and struck her twice more in succession, before he looked into her face. "Why? Why do you vex me so? Why do you disobey me? I am your superior!"

Hinata looked at her father, eye starting to swell closed and she smiled sadly. "That is too b..bad. I h..had always h..hoped you would b..be my f..father."

Hiashi in his anger yelled in her face before he threw her to the floor, his Byakugan activating, and as he looked down at her his eyes narrowed before he gasped at what he saw. "No…it can't be!"

Hinata tried to get her feet under herself, but his quick foot to her side made her gasp in pain and fall over again. "Your barrier…you gave yourself to him? You have sullied yourself with the demon brat? Whore!" He screamed as he lashed out at her again.

Hinata felt him pick her up, than pain blossomed in her head as she crashed through the door of her bedroom. She could feel the blood running from her head and sighed to herself as he struck her again. _I'm sorry Naruto-kun, but at least I was able to tell you how I feel._ She thought as the next blow took her consciousness from her.

O

Naruto waited patiently, his pack over his shoulder as he checked the time again.

It was already half past eight, a good half an hour after they agreed to meet at the front gate.

Of course, he would wait for her forever if he had too…but he was wondering what was holding her up.

When it was a quarter to nine, he decided it was time to see if he could find her.

Running to the Hyuuga compound, he stopped in front of the gate and caught his breath as he questioned one of the guards. "Excuse me…has Hinata left this morning? We were supposed to train today."

The guard eyed Naruto with some distaste, but a look of sadness crossed his face. "I guess you haven't heard. The lady Hinata is in the hospital. She fell down some steps last night and her father took her in and admitted her."

Naruto blinked in shock as his bag fell from his numb hands. "Is..is she ok?"

The man shook his head. "I do not know. We have received no other word on her condition yet."

Naruto without another word turned and sprinted for all he was worth to the Konoha general hospital. He blew past Lee and Gai as they were walking down the street, acknowledging nothing and saying nothing in return.

At the doors, Naruto jumped threw the plate glass, ignoring the cuts and pain from it, then grabbed the woman at the front desk by her collar and pulled her over the counter. "HYUUGA HINATA….WHERE IS SHE?" His voice rasped at her.

The terrified woman only blinked before pointing to the stairs. "Fourth floor…intensive care…"

Before she could say anything else, Naruto flung her back behind the counter and charged up the stairs until he reached the fourth floor.

At the entryway, two burly orderlies stood blocking the entry, but Naruto barreled through both men and before either man could respond he laid one out with a right hook, and the other with a kick to the crotch followed by a head butt that was so hard it split Naruto's scalp open.

Paying no heed to the pain or the blood running down his face, he rushed about from one room to the next until he found her, and burst into tears.

Hinata was hardly recognizable. Her face swollen and almost completely bandaged, but for the love he felt for her, he knew it was her by instinct.

Slowly he walked over to her bedside, and gently took her hand and rubbed it with his thumb.

A machine pumped and wheezed, and next to it a heart rate monitor beeped steadily.

After a few minutes an orderly and a doctor skidded to a stop at her door.

The orderly charged into the room, but when Naruto's claws on the hand he held up began growing, the man stopped in his tracks.

Naruto pointed at the doctor and gestured. "You…come here." He said in a thick voice.

The doctor quietly walked into the room and nodded at Naruto.

"What's her condition?" Naruto's voice was a deep croak as he gazed intently at the doctor. The doctor gulped once and picked up the chart at the foot of the bed, then reading it turned a face gone completely white to the boy, who began to sob. "I..I'm sorry…we've done the best we can. Her head injuries were extensive and she suffered major brain damage in multiple areas of her frontal lobe and cerebral cortex."

Naruto didn't understand most of it but he knew enough. "When will she wake up?" The man frowned as he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but she won't. The damage was so extensive she is in a permanent vegetative state, a never ending coma. Her brain functions are flat line. We even brought in the head of the Yamanaka clan, Inoichi to see if there was any chance her mind was still active, but her brain is completely shutdown…if it weren't for these machines, she would be dead even now."

Naruto looked at the doctor as new tears began to fall from his eyes. "How could this happen?"

The doctor grumbled for a moment before he said, "The report is she fell down a flight of stairs."

Naruto frowned at the man's unvoiced opinion before asking. "But you don't think so?'

The doctor lowered his voice but Naruto could see the bitter expression on his face. "Her injuries would only be consistent if she fell down a flight of stares and only her head hit each step on the way down. With the amount of damage she should have broken an arm or leg as well or her neck…while she does have a broken rib, the head trauma is to extensive for her to only have, "fallen down a flight of stairs".

Naruto nodded but he stuttered a last question. "W..Who brought her in?"

The doctor grumbled again but he was so disgusted he shook his head, not even thinking about protocol anymore. He had already told Naruto more then he should have, a little more wouldn't matter. "The same person who always brings her in when she has an "accident"…her father."

Naruto's head lowered slowly to the bed, and the sorrow poured from him in a flood of loss and pain.

The doctor gestured the orderly out, and closed the door to give the boy a modicum of privacy. He knew who Naruto was…but he also had seen so much sorrow for patients they couldn't cure or heal, and the boy's pain was definitely genuine. Despite who he was, the man's heart went out to the child.

Suddenly, Naruto was in the sewer, and the fox sat there staring down at him. For once, the voice wasn't mocking or even mean.

**Losing a mate is never easy.**

Naruto looked up at the great fox, no emotion on his face. "Can you fix her?"

The Myobu shook his head.

**No. I am a force of nature…destruction. A hurricane cannot bring a person back to life, and neither can I.**

Naruto sobbed as he looked up at the great fox. "She was all I had…my precious person…no one else has ever loved me!"

The fox nodded in understanding it seemed as Naruto growled out. "I couldn't protect her. I wanted to…but I couldn't."

The Kyuubi leaned down and towards Naruto with a grin.

**No…you couldn't…but you can avenge her…**

Naruto's face fixed in determination as he wiped his eyes and stared up at the great fox. Naruto stood straight before he nodded once and he whispered. "How?"

The Myobu smiled now as he leaned closer.

**Do what needs to be done, and I will show you the way…**

Naruto frowned as he forced himself from his mindscape…he didn't know what he was going to do, but he knew what he wanted to do…what he needed to do.

Naruto turned and walked to the window, opening it, before he turned back to the bed. Pulling a kunai from his weapon pouch Naruto smiled sadly at the one person who loved him. "Goodbye Hinata-chan." Then reaching down with the kunai, he did what was necessary.

O

At the nurse's station, all of Hinata's vital signs went to zero and the machines began keening in a high pitch as the doctor and orderly rushed forward and burst through the door…but all that remained were cut tubes and wires.

Hinata and Naruto were gone.

O

ANBU, Hyuga house guard, even most of the available ninja scoured the surrounding areas of Konoha, but the boy and girl could not be found anywhere around the village.

It wasn't until after night fall did things get interesting.

O

The two Chunin on gate guard grumbled quietly to each other about having to pull the evening shift, until the footsteps of someone approaching caught their attention. "Who goes there?" One of the guards shouted out, until he saw in the light Naruto's face. The other guard ran into the shack to alert the Hokage, and the first Chunin stood there, looking very afraid. The boy didn't look right, something had made his appearance more fierce, dark, and foreboding. "Stay there kid…we'll have the Hokage here soon."

Naruto just grinned as he looked at the man, and stepped further into the light, showing he was shirtless, and the seal glowed fiercely.

That was when the man noticed the boy wasn't walking, but floating and his toes dragged the ground as he got closer.

The man took a step back as Naruto's hand reached up, and grasped his stomach, and then the man gasped in horror as Naruto's hand came away, and the seal disappeared.

Naruto's eyes became completely red, the yellow slits of the pupil barely visible as his teeth grew longer, and his nails became claws.

The same hand that had removed the seal thrust out and a pillar of fire rose under the Chunin, consuming him and the guard shack behind him, as Naruto eerily floated deeper into the village.

A bystander seeing this tried to flee through the gates, but a gesture from Naruto made the gates slam shut, just before the man burst into flames, screaming in agony.

Four ANBU appeared in front of Naruto, but with a gesture, hundreds of identical demon Naruto clones appeared tearing and burning the ANBU agents before they could mount an offensive.

When they were dead, Naruto gestured, and the clones began to cackle gleefully as they rushed about, killing and destroying everything they could get their claws on.

Team 7 and Team 8 appeared in front of Naruto, and he grinned at them.

Kurenai gasped as she looked at him. "Kami…the Kyubi's loose!"

Naruto shook his head and waggled a finger at her in the negative. "Naughty naughty…speaking of my fuzzy friend in public…I guess you'll have to be punished…and you know what the Hokage's law says."

With a gesture, Kurenai is held above the ground with ropes of energy around her arms and legs. "You could have saved her." He said quietly. "You knew about him abusing her, and yet you did nothing…let the punishment fit the crime." Naruto's grin became wider as he whispered. "The punishment…is death."

Naruto laughed, a cold and cruel sound as he stretched his fingers open, and Kurenai screamed in pain as her joints popped and creaked. "Now make a wish." He said as her arms and legs flew from her torso with sickening tearing sounds, spraying blood all over the assembled teams.

The Gennin stared in horror as the genjutsu mistress breathed her last.

With a smirk, Naruto looked at the rest. "Ok…who's next?"

Kiba screamed in rage and flew at Naruto in his clan's famous technique, completely forgetting to use Akamaru so blind he was with his fury, only to be caught by the throat. Naruto didn't flinch or move an inch. It was like Kiba had walked up to him and bared his throat for Naruto.

Kiba's eyes bulged as the hand tightened, and then his head popped off and bounced down the street as Naruto discarded the body like a piece of garbage. Akamaru whimpered for his dead master, but before he could charge Naruto and exact some form of revenge, a wall of force knocked the dog away where he hit a wall with a sickening crunch and lay still.

Naruto without looking caught Sasuke out of the air by his face as he was leaping towards him. "Uchiha…you know at one time I called you rival, but I really thought of you as my friend…" Naruto's hand squeezed and the last Uchiha screamed in agony until his eyes popped out of their sockets, and his face was pulped by the strength of the clawed hand holding him. "Now I just consider you a mess." Naruto snickered as he dropped the body of the last Uchiha.

Naruto blinked and barked out in pain as a chidori pierced his back and came out of his chest. Kakashi grinned as he whispered in Naruto's ear as he gasped in pain. "Game over demon…I had always hoped I could do this to you."

To Kakashi's surprise, Naruto began laughing as blood ran down his chin right before he reached behind himself, grabbed Kakashi's wrist and crushed it.

Kakashi screamed in pain as he fell to his knees and Naruto turned to face him, conjuring more clones. "Kill them…but capture the one with pink hair."

Sakura's eyes widened and she tried to turn and run, but two clones made her escape impossible as they grabbed her arms and held her.

Looking down at Kakashi, Naruto smiled, a genuine smile. "I know the truth…I know everything. How you were assigned to "protect" me, but we both know that was bullshit, and who my mother and father were, how you were the one that poisoned her in her hospital bed…everything."

Looking off to the distance he watched as the village began to burn before looking at the man in front of him again. "You know…if you had treated me like a person, actually trained me, gave me a kind word on occasions, there is a good possibility I would have become a good ninja, and none of this would have ever happened."

Kakashi shook his head as he grimaced in pain up at Naruto. "Doesn't matter…at least I was able to kill you."

Naruto looked at the hole in his chest then nodded. "Yeah…you did a number on me didn't you?"

With a gesture Naruto got an exaggerated look of surprise on his face as the hole closed. "Oh my…it seems I'm actually not hurt…imagine that."

Kakashi's face fell just before Naruto grabbed his other arm and crushed it as well. Before Kakashi could do more then scream out, Naruto stomped on first one of Kakshi's knees, and then the other one, shattering them both.

As the Cyclops nin screamed and gurgled in pain, Naruto made an insignificant gesture. Kakashi floated up in a bubble of energy next to Naruto, pain still present, but unable to do anything other then stare. "There…you will keep until I'm done."

Turning and looking at Sakura, who had by now had wet herself, and was trembling between the two Naruto clones Naruto gave her a big grin. "Hello Sakura-_CHAN_…fancy meeting you here."

Naruto walked over and gripped her chin in his hand with an evil smile. "I guess us going out on a date is out of the question now huh?" Sakura screamed in horror and began to babble at him. "Please don't hurt me…don't rape me…I like you Naruto I really do!"

Naruto got closer to her and grinned in her face. "Perish the thought. Now that I have known and lost true love, I know there isn't anything your skanky ass could ever give me.

Like? If I was the Uchiha maybe…but I know better now…you could never love anyone more then your precious Sasuke and yourself." An almost sad expression travelled across Naruto's face before he glared into Sakura's eyes again. "But you know…there were so many ways I saw this going…but my friend told me that the best way to finish this is with this one little jutsu."

Naruto snapped his fingers and Sakura's eyes glazed over, then after a few seconds she began to scream, tears streaming down her face until her voice died out…but her mouth never closed, and her eyes never regained their focus. Even inner Sakura, was trapped in whatever this jutsu was.

As if sensing Kakashi's question, Naruto chuckled. "It's called demonic nightmare. Sakura, is now living my life…over and over again, but she doesn't get to find love…and I'm the one spurning her attention, beating her down physically, verbally torturing her…rather fitting I think."

The clones dropped her to the ground and he smirked as he looked at Kakashi. "Maybe in her next life she will be nicer...or she may have to suffer again."

Kakashi said nothing as he looked at his former student and wondered if he had actually trained her…but no…Sasuke had stood no chance, so even if he had been a better teacher, the outcome would have been the same.

Naruto walked towards the Hokage tower, the very center of the village and grinned wide as he saw Sarutobi standing there holding a battle staff, every ninja assembled here to stop him.

Naruto laughed openly as he looked around. "Well its old home week and the gangs all here. Tell me Sarutobi…was it worth it? Was trying to turn me into Konoha's weapon by making my life miserable…was it worth it?"

The professor's face fell and Naruto smirked at him. "Yes, "Old Man" I know it all…I know everything."

Sarutobi frowned as he tightened his grip on his staff. "It doesn't matter…what was done is done. All I can do now is kill you for what you have done and rid the world of your evil forever!"

Naruto roared at the same time the staff struck his neck, and flames shot from the ground, consuming all of the ninja forces that were behind Sarutobi.

None stood a chance.

Even the ones with Fire affinity could not prevent the flames that grabbed them and would not be put out.

But the professor was too absorbed in his battle to notice.

Sarutobi struck again and again, Knocking Naruto back step by step, until after the last strike the old Hokage leapt away.

Realizing there was no way he could stop Naruto in this manner as he seemed to absorb every blow, Sarutobi did the one thing that might save his village. Going quickly through the hand signs Sarutobi called up the one thing that stopped the Kyuubi once before.

Behind the professor appeared a dark apparition, mostly a shadow from its appearance.

Sarutobi gasped as it reached through him and paused in front of Naruto who had not moved. "Take the Kyuubi!" Sarutobi screamed. But the death good shook what must have been its head.

"I cannot. The Kyuubi is eternal, its power cannot be removed from this plane."

Sarutobi gasped then pointed to Naruto. "Then k..kill the child!"

Again the death god reached forward but stopped. "I cannot."

In anger Sarutobi tried to look over his shoulder at the death god. "WHY NOT?"

The voice came again but this time it sounded respectful, as if it was impressed by the trickery. "You have been out maneuvered. The boy's soul is not here, this is just a shell, without the shell, the Kyuubi's energy will ravage this world with no control. The Kami will not allow that to happen."

Sarutobi began to froth at the mouth in pain, and the death god withdrew it's appendage from him, and then faded.

Naruto walked up to the old man and squatted down next to him. "All of this…for what? Was a little feeling, a little happiness so much to ask for? Especially after you betrayed my father's wishes…"

Sarutobi spit at Naruto but it was a pathetic gesture and didn't impress the boy at all. "Hiashi Hyuuga…he is being flayed alive even as we speak…but I am weary of this. The only person that ever loved me is dead…because of evil men such as you."

Sarutobi growled intensely at Naruto. "I'll see you in hell boy…you hear me? In hell!"

Naruto only shrugged as a fire lit under Sarutobi, and now Kakashi as well, and slowly roasted them as they screamed in agony until their screams finally stopped and Naruto sighed.

After a few moments, one of his clones popped and he had the information that Hinata's killer had died slowly and horribly…Naruto should have been happy for the small amount of retribution, but it didn't make him feel any better…and it didn't bring Hinata back.

"Alright Kyuubi…finish it."

Naruto's body was surrounded by the fox's aura until he became a giant representation of the nine tail fox.

With one incredible chakra pulse, the remains of Konoha was wiped from the face of the fire nation, and the Kyuubi was gone.

O

Naruto looked down sadly at Hinata's broken body before looking up at the fox. "Is it time?"

The great Myobu's head nodded once as it stared down at him.

**All things great and small must eventually end. **

Naruto nodded as he picked up Hinata's body and cradled it gently in his arms. "How did you know leaving my soul in Hinata's mind would stop the death god?"

The fox threw back its head and laughed.

**I didn't! Either way the end result was going to be the same, I would get your body, and you would move on…this way is actually better for you, but the other way you would have met your father at least…but this way…**

Naruto nodded and blocked out the rest of the myobu's words as he held Hinata's body and smiled down at her still face and he began to cry. "I just wish I could hold her, see her smile one more time…"

The great fox leaned down, mouth open until it engulfed both children, before the Kyuubi closed it over Naruto and Hinata's bodies, and Naruto saw no more.

O

"_Awaken Uzumaki Naruto."_

Naruto's eyes fluttered for a second before he raised his head and looked around. Around him was a hall with pillars and depictions on the wall of people's faces and what looked like scenes of their lives.

Naruto got to his feet and turned around completely before he faced a pulsing light. "Am I dead?"

A voice laughed and the light wiggled a bit. _"Indeed…you are at the crossroads. All who die come here to be judged and sent to their after life."_

Naruto nodded a bit glumly…he was sure where he was going after Sarutobi's curse.

Below the light, Naruto saw past events of his life, leading up to the final blowout.

"_From the time you lived you were a good kind person, but all that changed when you found the woman you loved dead in the hospital by her father's hand." _

Naruto nodded but said nothing.

"_Under normal circumstances, you would be granted your eternal paradise…but with your final act you have put an enormous black mark on your soul…and despite the way you suffered, eternal paradise is not your destination."_

Naruto only nodded again, and waited for the door to hell to open so he could finally get it over with.

The voice paused before it started talking again. _"However…we have one thing that is rarely seen that stops you from descending to the depths."_

The air in front of Naruto shimmered, and slowly took the form of a humanoid. After a few seconds, the form solidified and turned to him and Naruto began to bawl like a newborn as the woman smiled at him, love evident in her eyes.

"Hina-chan!" He screamed as he ran forward.

Her arms wrapped around him as she also began to cry, and they squeezed each other tight, all the while whispering words of endearment.

For what seemed like an eternity, they held each other, until Naruto leaned back and looked at the light. "Thank you…I can go now knowing that Hina-chan will be here."

Hinata frowned at him, but the light spoke again before she did. _"That is the problem. Hinata has refused to move on without you. I will let her explain her reasoning to you."_

Naruto looked at Hinata in confusion, but her head rested against his chest and he couldn't help but smile at her as she whispered to him. "I forgive you Naruto-kun. While you letting the Kyuubi destroy the village and all of its people isn't something I would have done, after seeing what your life was, you returned the violence that was given to you, and I do not fault you." Naruto caressed Hinata's cheek a foolish grin on his face as he stared at her. He was truly amazed at the capacity for love and forgiveness in this woman. Hinata spoke again, taking him from his musings. "Naruto-kun…my life wasn't happy until we were finally together, so I won't be happy unless we are together in the afterlife too."

Naruto grinned wider for a second, before it became a frown and he shook his head negatively at her. "No…I can't let you do that Hina-chan…you deserve paradise…more then anyone else I've ever known."

Hinata shook her head negatively over and over again, a smirk on her mouth and then with a big smile on her face she tightened her grip on the man she loved. "I don't care…paradise will be lonely without you, and I won't be happy unless we're together."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue, but her lips silenced him as he looked to the light for help. _"I am sorry Naruto Uzumaki, but it is her choice how she will spend her afterlife._

_If she chooses to give up paradise to be with you, then that is her choice."_

Naruto began to feel really bad as he looked at the light. "But…I don't want Hinata to be in hell…she doesn't deserve that!"

The light jiggled again as he heard the sound of mirth. _"Silly child…since you both are willing to give up so much for each other, neither of you will be going to hell…but neither of you will be going to paradise…not exactly. The good on her soul compounded by the ways she suffered in her life, will offset the negative for all the destruction and death you willfully caused. Combined with the good that was on your soul up until that point, plus allowing the Kyuubi to complete its mission…"_

Naruto frowned and Hinata looked at the light as well. "Wait…what? Mission?"

The light seemed to jiggle again as it answered his question. _"The Kyuubi is a force of nature…when there is an imbalance or an over balance of entropy, nature does what it needs to too restore that balance. The Kyuubi, while incredibly destructive, serves its purpose well…it will sleep now, and eventually in a hundred years or so…it will awaken again and do what needs to be done to restore the balance."_

Naruto wasn't sure what all of that meant, and he scratching his head was a good indication of that, but a green doorway opened next to Hinata and Naruto before he could ask. _"While your afterlife will not be paradise, it will be better then hell, or even purgatory. Please step through, and be at peace."_

Naruto looked at Hinata who smiled and nodded to him, and they both gingerly stepped through into a beautiful field where wild flowers were abundant.

The wind blew gently, and the sky was a beautiful blue.

Looking around, there were trees, a stream, and the ground looked perfect for growing crops. With a grin, Naruto and Hinata ran hand in hand through the field, giggling like children, in love, and happy.

Finally, at peace.


End file.
